Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-11-11
GHOSTS ABROAD.

christened her, and how she came to be
christened name so peculiarly inappro-
pirate, we cannot say. She was tub II
ever there was one. Such craft as she,
they build by the mile, and saw up into
lengths. A floating coal box, painted
black, with an engine and couple of
boilers, a rudder and screw, some tarred
rope and a score of seamen of all nation
alities and no manners; there you have
the Valiant, and the thousand and one
ships of the same ilk which fetch and
carry the riches of the world.
On the 18th of February we cleared out
of the Tyne loaded to the muzzle with
coal, and bound for Venice. We had a
river pilot aboard, of course, and were
dragged out to sea, through the double
line of buoys and the crowd of shipping,
by little coffee pot of tug. The chief
officer, Mr.. Marks, was in command, for
our new cap'n had not yet arrived from
Newcastle. He was an elderly man, this
Mr. Marks, with patient eye, and a
sandy goats beard Mr. Bubble, the
second mate, was squat little man, heav-
lily bearded, who had run away from
home to follow the sea, and had never
ceased regretting it ever since, for, after
| ssbucketing'' about ON three years
cruise, he found himself too much of a
salt to be happy ashore, and too heartily
sick of the sea to be contented af1oat.
For the rest, our ships company consisted
of motley crew of twelve seamen, half
O dozen stokers, three engineers, stew
ard, cook and a cabin lad A regular
old seadog was our bo'sun, Jack Dredge,
stumpy and square, his brown, weather
battered face framed in ragged fringe of
whisker; one eye had foundered in his
head, and there was nothing left but an
eyelid and q hole. The ball of had been
bitten one night in his sleep by furnishing
rat, and had festered and sloughed out.
He was in mid Pacific then, and the near
est surgeon thousand miles away He
vas of a taciturn disposition, and l fancy
mis- temper had been damaged in the
West Indies by too liberal allowance OF
pepper in his curry. In his last spell
ashore-he was a native of Newcastle,
where his wife and his lad Bill lived-the
Salvationists had got hold of him in the
midst Of one of his tremendous drinking
bouts, and had excited him into state OF
religious frenzy, and in his temporary ex-
altation he signed the pledge, and, amid
a whirlwind of applause, fetched bottle
Of rum out of his pocket, and, smashing
it on the platform, solemnly executed a
hornpipe on the relics. When he came to
his senses next morning and remembered
what he had done, he swore at himself
like hurricane, but kept the pledge,
though he maltreated fearfully q Jealous
captain who called about breakfast
time to see how their seafaring proselyte
was progressing.
Well, we hove to down the river Just
where we could feel the lift of the sea
under our keel, and waited for the return
of the tug with our skipper. The sky was
banked up with clouds, and pretty still
wind was piping in from the r'-nor east
The steam was at high pressure and blow
ing off from the waste pipe by the funnel
We were little more shipshape, for the
men had been swabbing and swiliing the
coal dust from the decks. At last the tug
steamed alongside, and Mr.. Marks re
ceived the skipper as he swarmed up the
rope ladder, followed by his portmantear
and umbrella. He was a dapper LITTLE
man and came aboard smoking a cigarette
By the time the fresh meat had bee1
passed across into the doctors (the sailors
sobriquet for the cook hands the pilo
was ready to leave US.
''Well, good night, cap'np' sang Maste
Pilot, as he clambered over the side
ngood night, and bong voyagei-Belov
there! steady!'
Tie ropes were cast off. The engin
room telegraph was rung-''Slow ahead
and as she got way on her the Vahan
was headed for the sea-
1t was dirty night and not vestig
of moon. The sea was not very heavy
, but it was getting up under the nor'easte
and there was every sign Of wicked gal
brewing. Day broke at last over tum
bling sea. What with keeping tn
E watches, overhauling the decks fore an
aft battening down the matches and max
ing all shipshape, there was plenty to q
Oh that first day at sea to keep us fror
thinking too fondly of the girls we had lei
behind us.
Hour after hour the Valiant pegge
stubbornly along, plunging down tn
green slopes of the waves, and raising he1
self heavily out of the troughs of the ses
She rolled excessively, and labored up tn
: waves il a reluctant way, which was Il
from inspiring confidence in her see
worthiness. AT 2 p. m. we passed tn
Cro1ner lighthouse, ind it was an hot
and half afterWard before we got tn
Haslow light abeam At 4 Mr. Rubb
turned out for the first dogWatch, an
soon afterward a man brought the sid
lights aft and fixed them in their sockets
: Then after q second trip for'ard, he r.
turned, nursing the binlxlcle lamp in h
arm. 1t was Smith who brought thel
instead of the bo'sun, whose duty it is
look to the compass lights. Mr.. Rubb
was too little of a martinez to hay
troubled himself about ST. small an ire!
( ularity, had he not been irritated by I'll
clumsiness of the mans efforts to adju
the lamps.
ssWhere's the bo'sun?" he shouted I'M
Smiths ear, for the wind and sea we
making a great uproar. "Why hash
Dredge brought these lights himsel
What does he mean by sending you wit
: 'em?'
Still fumbling at lamp, Smith be
/. lowed in reply, Dunno, sirr,'
But there was look in his faces 81
and glossy with rain, which gave the lie
his words. MI Bubble noticed the tel
tale expression, but did not stop to give it
second thought Taking the lamp fro
Smiths laundering fingers, he dismisse
him, and fixed it in the pinnacle himsel
At four bells the first mate relieved N
Bubble, and the later Owed below to 6
his tea and a snatch of sleep ifpossible
fore it came his turn again for Moul
, Misery (sea slang for the BRIDGE. Wi
his hands deep in the dog cared poke
: Of his pea Jacket and his shoulders hoist
well up to his ears, Mr.. Marks paraded
and fro, humping his feet down to Ike
the blood in them from stagnatin
Every now and then he peered ahead in
- the stormy darkness, on the lookout f
the Shrowash light, which was due to cor
up some half dozen points off the sta
board bow. Every now and then
!, stepped aside to consult the compass
!. satisfy himself that the ship was bell
steered her proper course. Once, as
g stood staring ahead across the trmblil
II black seas, the door of the fo'c'sle W
r suddenly opened and shaft of Zig
streamed out on the deck for'ard T.
. figures of two men came out dark
:, against the bright background for m
ment, and then were lost in the mig
'e again. AS far as Mr. Marks could MAJ
out, there seemed to be some unusu